In the Euro zone

UP THE ANTE:

SIZING Europe was a classy winner of last year’s Queen Mother Champion Chase and, with most of the promising novices heading for the Arkle, looks a banker at around 9-4 to retain his crown in March.

The problem with getting involved now, however, is the risk of injury during his build-up to the big two-mile chase at the Cheltenham Festival.

I can’t see Sizing Europe starting much shorter than his current odds, so if, like me, you think the reigning champion is a good thing you may as well wait until the day of the race.

Looking at the opposition, I don’t see what is going to beat a horse which was so dominant in this contest last year and has since stamped his authority on the two-mile division with a fine success in the Grade One Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown in December.
Big Zeb chased him home last March and is second-best in the ante-post lists at 9-2.

He has bounced back to form in Ireland this year but, at the age of 11, I don’t expect him to see off a fit and well Sizing Europe over a course and distance he clearly loves. Remember, he also won the Arkle Chase two seasons ago.

Finian’s Rainbow is the shortest-priced English horse at 13-2, yet I just don’t fancy him at all.

Nicky Henderson’s big hope looked to have last year’s Arkle in the bag when going clear down the hill, but his finishing effort was tame and it was a similar story when he was caught by Somersby in the Victor Chandler Chase at Ascot on Saturday.

Despite the trainer’s observation that Finian’s Rainbow may need a longer trip, I have him down as a weak finisher and that simply won’t do up the Cheltenham hill.

I can’t understand why Somersby is going for the longer Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham.

Fitted with cheekpieces at Ascot, he looked much sharper and strikes me as a horse who needs two miles at a flat-out pace.

I would be getting stuck in at 14s were he a definite runner in the Queen Mother. The novices, Peddlers Cross (16-1) and Al Ferof (20-1) have been given entries, but are much more likely to take on the awesome Sprinter Sacre in the Arkle. That may be a mistake.

Nothing else appeals in the Queen Mother betting, so the advice is to keep your powder dry and get the best odds on Sizing Europe on the day as he looks banker material.

However, two horses I am prepared to put up at this stage are Grumeti and Our Father.

The former runs in the Triumph Hurdle Trial at Cheltenham on Saturday and, if he wins that as I expect him to do, he will be much shorter than the 10-1 currently on offer. This is my strongest ante-post fancy for the Cheltenham Festival.

You can put a line through his fall at Newbury last time as he had jumped brilliantly until that point and was steadily pulling clear of some useful rivals.

My other ante-post suggestion is Our Father in the Pertemps Handicap Hurdle.

David Pipe has been keen to protect his handicap mark following his excellent comeback success Ascot and I have little doubt he is rated in the same bracket as some of the big guns at Nicolshayne.

RECOMMENDATIONS: Grumeti, Triumph Hurdle, 10-1 (totesport, Betfred); Our Father (Pertemps Handicap Hurdle) 12-1 (bet365).